Autonomous prefectures () are one type of

autonomous administrative divisions of China Chinese autonomous administrative divisions are associated with one or more ethnic minorities that are designated as autonomous within the People's Republic of China. These areas are recognized in the Constitution of the People's Republic of Chi ...

, existing at the prefectural level, with either ethnic minorities forming over 50% of the population or being the historic home of significant minorities. All autonomous prefectures are mostly dominated, in population, by the Han Chinese. The official name of an autonomous prefecture includes the most dominant minority in that region, sometimes two, rarely three. For example, a

Kazakh Kazakh, Qazaq or Kazakhstani may refer to: * Someone or something related to Kazakhstan *Kazakhs, an ethnic group *Kazakh language *The Kazakh Khanate * Kazakh cuisine * Qazakh Rayon, Azerbaijan *Qazax, Azerbaijan *Kazakh Uyezd, administrative dis ...

(''Kazak'' in official naming system) prefecture may be called ''Kazak Zizhizhou''. Like all other prefectural level divisions, autonomous prefectures are divided into county level divisions. There is one exception: Ili Kazak Autonomous Prefecture contains two prefectures of its own. Under the Constitution of the People's Republic of China, autonomous prefectures cannot be abolished.

Autonomous administrative divisions

The PRC's autonomous administrative divisions may be found in the first (or top) to third levels of its national

administrative division Administrative division, administrative unit,Article 3(1). country subdivision, administrative region, subnational entity, constituent state, as well as many similar terms, are generic names for geographical areas into which a particular, ind ...

s thus:

List of autonomous prefectures

} (''Niepsha Nuosu Zytjiejux dde Zho'') , Xichang (Op Rro) city , - , Xinjiang , Kizilsu ,
,

Kyrgyz Kyrgyz, Kirghiz or Kyrgyzstani may refer to: * Someone or something related to Kyrgyzstan *Kyrgyz people *Kyrgyz national games *Kyrgyz language *Kyrgyz culture *Kyrgyz cuisine *Yenisei Kirghiz *The Fuyü Gïrgïs language in Northeastern China ...

: (''Kızılsuu Kırgız avtonom oblastı'') , Artux city , - , Xinjiang , Bortala ,
, Mongolian , Mongolian: (''Borotala mongγol ebereen zasaqu ǰuu'') , Bole (Bortala) city , - , Xinjiang ,

Changji Changji is a county-level city situated about west of the regional capital, Ürümqi in Northern Xinjiang, China and has about 390,000 inhabitants. It is the seat of Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture. At the northeast corner of the modern cit ...

,
, Hui , (''The Hui speak Chinese'') Xiao'erjing: ,

city , - , Xinjiang , Bayingolin ,
, Mongolian , Mongolian: (''Bayangol mongγol ebereen zasaqu ǰuu'') , Korla city , - , Xinjiang , Ili
( Altay)
( Tacheng) ,

()
()
()
() ,

: (''İle Qazaq awtonomïyalıq oblısı'')
(

: ) (''Altay aymağı'')
(

: ) (''Tarbağatay aymağı'') , Yining (Ghulja) city
( Altay city)
( Tacheng city) , - , Yunnan , Dehong ,
, Dai and Jingpo , Tai Nüa - (''Sakhkung Sam Jinghpo Amyu Madu Uphkang Mungdo'')
Zaiwa: , Mangshi city , - , Yunnan , Nujiang ,
, Lisu , Lisu: ꓠꓳ-ꓟꓵ ꓡꓲ-ꓢꓴ ꓫꓵꓽ ꓚꓲꓸ ꓛꓬꓽ ꓗꓪꓼ ꓫꓵꓽ ꓝꓳꓴ (''Nolmut lisu shit jilqait guatshit zhou'') , Lushui city , - , Yunnan , Dêqên (Diqing) ,
, Tibetan , Tibetan: (''Bde-chen Bod-rigs rang-skyong khul'') , Shangri-La city , - , Yunnan ,

Dali Dali or Dalí may refer to: Chinese history * Kingdom of Dali (937–1253 AD), centered in modern Yunnan * Kingdom of Nanzhao or Dali, Kingdom of Dali's predecessor state * Dali, Emperor Daizong of Tang's third and last regnal period (766–779) ...

,
, Bai , Bai: Darl•lit Baif•cuf zirl•zirl•zox ,

city , - , Yunnan , Chuxiong ,
, Yi , ii, ꀒꇐꆈꌠꊨꏦꏱꅉꍏ (''Olu Nuosu Zytjiejux dde Zho'') , Chuxiong city , - , Yunnan , Honghe ,
,

Hani Hani may refer to: People * Hani (name) * Hani (producer), a record producer and remixer from New York City * Hani (singer), a South Korean singer and member of EXID * Hani people, an ethnic group of China and Vietnam Places * Hani, an island ...

and Yi ,

: Haoqhoq Haqniqssaq Haqhholssaq Ziiqziifzel
ii, ꉼꉻꆈꌠꊨꏦꏱꅉꍏ (''Hopho Nuosu Zytjiejux dde Zho'') , Mengzi city , - , Yunnan , Wenshan ,
, Zhuang and Miao , za, Munzsanh Bouxcuengh Myauzcuz Swcicouh
Hmong: Veej Sa Tsuaam Txhwj Mioj Txhwj Txim Tsim Tsawb , Wenshan city , - , Yunnan , Xishuangbanna (Sibsongbanna) ,
, Dai , khb, ᦈᦹᧈ ᦈᦹᧈ ᦵᦋᦲᧁᧈ ᦘᦱ ᦉᦱ ᦺᦑ ᧑᧒ ᦗᧃ ᦓᦱ ,

Jinghong Jinghong (; khb, ᨩ᩠ᨿᨦᩁᩩ᩵ᨦ; th, เชียงรุ่ง, , ; lo, ຊຽງຮຸ່ງ; also formerly romanised as ''Chiang Hung'', ''Chengrung'', ''Cheng Hung'', Jeng Hung, ''Jinghung'', ''Keng Hung'', ''Kiang Hung'' and ' ...

city

Ethnic composition of autonomous prefectures

:Note: * - denotes as the second titular ethnic group

Former autonomous prefectures of China

* Hainan Li and Miao Autonomous Prefecture (1952–1988) in Guangdong, abolished because of the establishment of Hainan Province. * Hedong Hui Autonomous Prefecture (1954–1955) in

Gansu Gansu (, ; alternately romanized as Kansu) is a province in Northwest China. Its capital and largest city is Lanzhou, in the southeast part of the province. The seventh-largest administrative district by area at , Gansu lies between the Tib ...

, later changed name as Wuzhong Hui Autonomous Prefecture (1955–1958), abolished because of the establishment of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. * Xihaigu Hui Autonomous Prefecture (1953–1955) in

, later changed name as Guyuan Hui Autonomous Prefecture (1955–1958), abolished because of the establishment of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. * Guixi Zhuang Autonomous Prefecture (sub-provincial level, 1953–1955) in Guangxi Province, abolished because of the establishment of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. * Bayinhot Mongol Autonomous Prefecture (1954–1956) in

, included today's

Dengkou County Dengkou County ( mn, Денкеү сийан ; ), is a county with inhabitants (2020) under the administration of Baynnur, in the west of Inner Mongolia Inner Mongolia, officially the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is an autonomous regio ...

and

Alxa League Alxa League or Ālāshàn League (; mn, , Mongolian Cyrillic. Алшаа аймаг) is one of 12 prefecture level divisions and 3 extant leagues of Inner Mongolia. The league borders Mongolia to the north, Bayan Nur to the northeast, Wuhai ...

. The autonomy abolished after it merged into Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

Administrative prefecture level units with a population of 30% or more of ethnic minorities

:Excluding prefecture level units of autonomous regions in 2000. * Hebei:

Chengde Chengde, formerly known as Jehol and Rehe, is a prefecture-level city in Hebei province, situated about 225 km northeast of Beijing. It is best known as the site of the Mountain Resort, a vast imperial garden and palace formerly used by t ...

(Han - 55.32%, Manchu - 39.87%) * Liaoning: Benxi (Han - 66.84%, Manchu - 30.22%),

Dandong Dandong (), formerly known as Andong, is a coastal prefecture-level city in southeastern Liaoning province, in the northeastern region of People's Republic of China. It is the largest Chinese border city, facing Sinuiju, North Korea across the ...

(Han - 64.11%, Manchu - 32.99%) * Hunan: Zhangjiajie (Tujia - 68.40%, Han - 22.81%), Huaihua (Han - 61.33%, Dong - 17.42%, Miao - 15.63%) * Guizhou:

Anshun Anshun () is a prefecture-level city located in southwestern Guizhou province, southwest China, near the Huangguoshu Waterfall, the tallest in China. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 2,297,339. The city proper had a population o ...

(Han - 61.6%, Buyei - 16.92%, Miao - 14.27%), Tongren (Tujia - 37.81%, Han - 31.76%, Miao - 14.87%, Dong - 11.41%) * Yunnan: Yuxi (Han - 68,18%, Yi - 19,32%), Pu'er (Han - 40,92%, Hani - 16,98%, Yi - 16.58%, Lahu - 11.47%), Lijiang (Han - 42.71%, Nakhi 20.51%, Yi - 18.68%, Lisu - 9.62%), Lincang (Han - 61.22%, Dai - 15.77%, Lahu and Va - 9.76%) * Qinghai: Haidong (Han - 56.33%, Hui - 20.38%, Tibetan - 9.2%, Tu - 8.06%)

External links

Regional Autonomy for Ethnic Minorities in China
{{Terms for types of country subdivisions